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The Wrestle in the Forest

Enos prays from morning into night, Jesus shows us how to pray, and we learn to recognize real answers

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–10
  • ⚡ Fast Sunday
  • 📅 Sunday, February 7, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Heavenly Father hears every prayer, and when I pray with real intent like Enos and Jesus did, I can recognize His answers and pray for others, even people who are hard to love.

I can pray with real intent every day, listen for answers in my mind and heart, and pray for others the way Enos did.

Study it yourself firstRead Enos 1:1–17; Joseph Smith—History 1:13–17; Matthew 14:15–21; Luke 22:39–43; 3 Nephi 17:21–24 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this fast-Sunday lesson (Enos 1:1–17; Joseph Smith—History 1:13–17; Matthew 14:15–21; Luke 22:39–43; 3 Nephi 17:21–24)
Know the chapters

This is the February fast-Sunday lesson from Appendix B of the 2027 manual, taught in place of the regular Come, Follow Me lesson. Prayer and fasting belong together: fasting helps us focus our prayers. Some of your 9–11-year-olds may be fasting with their families today; children aren’t required to. Never single out who is or isn’t fasting, skip food rewards, and give a hungry, cranky kid an important job.

Enos was the son of Jacob, Nephi’s younger brother (Jacob 7:27; Enos 1:1). He calls his experience a wrestle before God (1:2). While hunting in the forest, his father’s teachings about eternal life and the joy of the Saints sank deep into his heart; his soul hungered, and he knelt and prayed all day and into the night (1:3–4). The Lord told him his sins were forgiven; when Enos asked how, the Lord said it was because of his faith in Christ, whom he had never seen (1:5–8). Then his prayers grew wider: for the Nephites (1:9–10), then, with many long struggles, for the Lamanites, who had sworn to destroy the Nephites’ records (1:11–14). He asked the Lord to preserve the records for the Lamanites’ descendants, and the Lord covenanted to do it (1:15–17). The Book of Mormon is part of that answer.

Notice how Enos describes the answer while he prayed for the Nephites: the Lord’s voice came into his mind (Enos 1:10). Nine-to-eleven-year-olds are ready for this: answers often come as thoughts, peaceful feelings or clear ideas, not audible voices. Joseph Smith, at 14, read James 1:5 and went to the woods to ask (Joseph Smith—History 1:11–17). Some answers are “yes,” some “no,” some “not yet”; teach that Heavenly Father always hears, without promising a child the answer they want.

Jesus prayed too: early in the morning alone (Mark 1:35); looking up to heaven before feeding thousands (Matthew 14:19); in Gethsemane, “not my will, but thine, be done,” and an angel strengthened Him (Luke 22:42–43); and among the Nephites, blessing their children one by one while angels encircled them (3 Nephi 17:21–24). He also warned against “vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7), which older kids who have said the same dinner blessing a thousand times will understand immediately. Children and Youth goals include a spiritual category; a personal prayer goal is a natural fit.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Enos 1:1–17, James 1:5 and Luke 22:39–43. Do the Robot Thank-You. Tell The Wrestle in the Forest from Teach Mode. Learn James 1:5, and send three teams to find out why Jesus prayed. Close with a true answered prayer. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” The gift turns invisible, and you read the detective passages aloud.

What to bring2 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Wrap any small object, like a spoon, a pencil or a sock, or drop it in a bag. Sillier is better.
  2. Bookmark Enos 1:4, 1:5–8 and 1:15–16 for readers. Also mark the detective passages: Matthew 14:15–21, Luke 22:39–43 and 3 Nephi 17:21–24.
  3. Think of one true time Heavenly Father answered your prayer, and how the answer came. You’ll share it at the end.

If your class is wild

  • Echo lines calm a room fast. Whisper “Keep praying,” and wait for the whisper to come back.
  • Make your most energetic kid the Sound Helper. Tapping the sounds gives that energy a job.
  • Some kids may be fasting and feel hungry or cranky. Never ask who’s fasting, and skip food rewards. Give a grumpy kid an important job.
  • In Scripture Detectives, each team picks a Finder, a Reader and a Reporter so every kid has a job.
  • Answered-prayer stories are powerful at this age. Keep yours short and true. Never promise a child the exact answer they want.

The 25-minute plan24 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

The Robot Thank-You

3 min

A silly thank-you contest shows the difference between saying words and actually meaning them.

  1. SAY“Thank me like a robot. Same words, no feeling, three times, fast.”
  2. Hand the wrapped gift to a seated volunteer. Have them thank you like a robot.
  3. A second volunteer opens it and gives a real thank-you. What is it, why do they like it, and what will they do with it?
  4. Ask, “Which one felt like a real talk?” Have a volunteer read Matthew 6:7 from your phone or tablet. Then say, “Prayer isn’t a password. It’s talking with your Father.”
🌪️ Only the two volunteers touch the gift. Everyone else judges with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

Class screen: 🤖 Robot thank-you or real thank-you? · 🤖 Robot? · 💛 Real?

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A small wrapped “gift” for the hook (any household object in a bag or wrapped in paper)

The Invisible Gift

  1. SAY“Thank me like a robot. Same words, no feeling, three times, fast.”
  2. Hand a seated volunteer a huge invisible present. Have them thank you like a robot.
  3. A second volunteer “opens” it and decides what it is. Then they give a real thank-you, with why they like it.
  4. Ask, “Which one felt like a real talk?” Have a volunteer read Matthew 6:7 from your phone or tablet. Then say, “Prayer isn’t a password. It’s talking with your Father.”

Class screen: 🎁 Robot thank-you or real thank-you? · 🤖 Robot? · 💛 Real?

2. Story

Story: The Wrestle in the Forest

7 min

Enos’s all-day prayer shows what praying with real intent looks like, how answers can come, and how prayers grow to include others.

  1. SAY“This is a true story from the Book of Mormon. A young man prays all day and into the night. Some lines, you’ll say back to me.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. Say each line for the class to echo. Volunteers read Enos 1:4 at scene 2 and Enos 1:5–8 at scene 5.
  3. After scene 6, ask, “How did the Lord’s voice come to Enos?” Into his mind! Then ask, “How might an answer come to you?”
  4. After scene 7, have a volunteer read Enos 1:15–16. Ask, “Enos prayed for people who were against him. Why do you think he did that?”
🌪️ If the room drifts, fold your arms, whisper “Keep praying,” and wait for it to come back.

Class screen: 🌲 The Wrestle in the Forest · 🔁 Say it back! · 🙏 Keep praying!

3. Scripture

Key Verse: James 1:5

4 min

The verse that sent Joseph Smith to the Sacred Grove becomes their own invitation to ask.

  1. SAY“When Joseph Smith was fourteen, this verse sent him into the woods to pray.”
  2. Have a volunteer read James 1:5 from their seat.
  3. Explain two old words. “Liberally” means generously. “Upbraideth not” means He won’t scold you for asking.
  4. Teach the motions phrase by phrase, all seated. Say it three times. First normal, then in a whisper, then with your phone or tablet face down.
  5. Ask, “What’s one question you could ask Heavenly Father this week?”

Class screen: 🙋 Lack wisdom? Ask of God. No scolding, ever. · James 1:5

4. Game

Jesus Prayed Too: Scripture Detectives

7 min

Teams study the Savior’s own prayers to find why He prayed and what happened next, so kids can pray like Him.

  1. SAY“Enos wasn’t the only one who prayed hard. Jesus prayed too. We’ll have three detective teams. Find out why He prayed, and what happened next.”
  2. Give out the passages. Team 1 gets Matthew 14:15–21. Team 2 gets Luke 22:39–43. Team 3 gets 3 Nephi 17:21–24.
  3. Start the Big Timer for 90 seconds. Teams score a point for why He prayed and one for what happened next. The verse number earns a bonus.
  4. Reporters share from their seats. Ask, “What do Jesus’s prayers teach you about yours?”
🌪️ Each team picks a Finder, a Reader and a Reporter so every kid has a job.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🔍 Why did Jesus pray? What happened next? · Matthew 14:15–21 · Luke 22:39–43 · 3 Nephi 17:21–24

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: 3 copies of the scriptures (classroom set, ward library or the kids’ own), bookmarked for the detective teams

Scripture Detectives: Listen Mode

  1. SAY“Enos wasn’t the only one who prayed hard. Jesus prayed too. We’ll have three detective teams. Listen for why He prayed, and what happened next.”
  2. Team 1 gets the feeding of the five thousand. Team 2 gets Gethsemane. Team 3 gets Jesus blessing the Nephite children. Read each passage aloud.
  3. Teams huddle for about 20 seconds, then report. Each clue earns a point. Quoting a phrase they heard earns a bonus.
  4. Ask, “What do Jesus’s prayers teach you about yours?”

Class screen: 👂 Listen closely: why did Jesus pray? · Matthew 14:15–21 · Luke 22:39–43 · 3 Nephi 17:21–24

5. Testimony

He Always Hears

3 min

End calm and reverent, with a real answered prayer and a challenge to try.

  1. SAY“Enos prayed for himself. Then he prayed for his people. Then he even prayed for his enemies. Heavenly Father heard every one of those prayers.”
  2. Tell one short, true story of a prayer Heavenly Father answered for you. Say how the answer came.
  3. SAY“Today is fast Sunday. Whether you’re fasting or not, Heavenly Father wants to hear what’s really in your heart.”
  4. Share the Enos Experiment on the screen. Give everyone a quiet moment to think. Then invite a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🏹 This week: the Enos Experiment · One long, real prayer alone · Pray for someone hard to love · Write down what comes to your mind

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Prayer Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style team review of the story and the scriptures.

  1. SAY“Team Sun versus Team Moon! Give clues, but don’t say the word. Don’t say any word in the hint either.”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess. One kid holds your phone or tablet to their forehead, screen facing the class. Their team gives clues from their seats.
  3. Tilt down for “got it” and up to pass. Teams trade after 45 seconds. Most words wins.
🌪️ Pass your phone or tablet hand to hand to the next guesser. No tossing.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: no saying words from the hint!

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews the story and the verses.

  1. SAY“Team Sun versus Team Moon, same teams as before!”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown and read each question aloud. Teams whisper for ten seconds, then point to an answer.
  3. Tap the team that got it right. They earn a bonus point if they can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

The Wrestle in the Forest

Enos 1:1–17, 27 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 🏹🌲 A father’s words in the forest

    Enos was Jacob’s son. Jacob was Nephi’s younger brother. Jacob taught him about Jesus Christ and the joy of the Saints. One day Enos went hunting alone in the forest. He remembered his father’s words. They had sunk deep into his heart.

    🙌

  2. 💛🍽️ A hunger no food could fix

    Enos felt hungry, but not in his stomach. His soul hungered. That’s what fasting is for. Our body’s hunger reminds us what our spirit really needs. So Enos knelt down before his Maker.

    🙌 Say it back: “My soul hungered.”

  3. 🧎🌞 A wrestle that lasted all day

    Enos poured out his heart in mighty prayer. He called it a wrestle. It wasn’t a quick, sleepy prayer. It was a real struggle. Hour after hour. All day long.

    🙌

  4. 🌙🦉 Still praying after dark

    The sun went down, and Enos was still praying. He kept raising his voice until it reached the heavens. He wasn’t giving up.

    🙌 Hoot softly like an owl. He’s still praying!

  5. ✨🎒 Forgiven! His guilt swept away

    Then a voice came. His sins were forgiven! Enos knew God could not lie, and his guilt was swept away. He asked how. The Lord said it was because of his faith in Christ. And Enos had never even seen Him.

    🙌 Say it back: “Thy sins are forgiven thee.”

  6. 💭👥 Now praying for his people

    Once Enos felt forgiven, he began to worry about others. He poured out his whole soul for the Nephites. The Lord’s voice came into his mind, promising to bless them if they kept His commandments.

    🙌

  7. 📘🌎 Even praying for his enemies

    Then Enos prayed for the Lamanites. It took many long struggles. The Lamanites wanted to destroy the Nephite records. But the Lord covenanted to save the records for them. Those records are in the Book of Mormon. You hold his answer!

    🙌 Open your hands like a book and say it back: “Answered!”

Key verse

James 1:5 ↗
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”
In kid words: If you don’t know what to do, ask God. He gives generously to everyone, He won’t scold you for asking, and He will answer.
🙌 “If any of you lack wisdom” = scratch your head · “let him ask of God” = raise your hand high · “that giveth to all men liberally” = sweep both arms out wide · “and upbraideth not” = shake your head and wag a finger: no scolding! · “and it shall be given him” = cup your hands to receive.

More verses

Matthew 6:7 ↗
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do”
In kid words: When you pray, don’t just repeat the same empty words. Mean what you say.
Matthew 7:7 ↗
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”
In kid words: Ask, look and knock. Heavenly Father answers people who keep trying.
Mark 1:35 ↗
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed”
In kid words: Jesus got up long before sunrise and went somewhere quiet to pray.
Luke 22:42 ↗
“nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done”
In kid words: In Gethsemane, Jesus told Heavenly Father that He wanted the Father’s will more than His own.

Forehead Guess words19 words

  • 🏹 Enos
  • 🧔 Jacob
  • 🌲 Forest
  • 🤼 Wrestle
  • 💛 Hungry soul
  • 🍽️ Fasting
  • ✨ Forgiven
  • ✝️ Faith in Christ
  • 😠 Lamanites
  • 📜 Records
  • 📘 Book of Mormon
  • 🤖 Vain repetitions
  • 🌄 Solitary place
  • 🫒 Gethsemane
  • 👼 Angel
  • 🐟 Loaves and fishes
  • 👦 Joseph Smith
  • 🌳 Sacred Grove
  • 🦉 Wisdom
Clues for each word
  • Enos: Prayed all day and into the night
  • Jacob: Enos’s father, Nephi’s younger brother
  • Forest: Where Enos went to hunt
  • Wrestle: Enos’s word for his long, hard prayer
  • Hungry soul: Enos felt this, not a hungry stomach
  • Fasting: Skipping food to focus on prayer
  • Forgiven: The first thing the Lord told Enos
  • Faith in Christ: Why Enos was forgiven, though he’d never seen Him
  • Lamanites: Enos prayed for them even though they hated his people
  • Records: Enos asked the Lord to preserve them
  • Book of Mormon: Part of the answer to Enos’s prayer
  • Vain repetitions: Matthew 6:7 says don’t use them
  • Solitary place: Where Jesus went early in the morning to pray
  • Gethsemane: Where Jesus prayed “not my will, but thine”
  • Angel: Came to strengthen Jesus in the garden
  • Loaves and fishes: Jesus looked up to heaven and blessed them
  • Joseph Smith: Read James 1:5 at age 14 and went to pray
  • Sacred Grove: Woods where the First Vision happened
  • Wisdom: If you lack it, ask of God
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. Who was Enos’s father?
    • A. Lehi
    • B. Jacob, Nephi’s younger brother
    • C. Alma
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Jacob, Nephi’s younger brother Jacob 7:27 and Enos 1:1. Jacob was a prophet who taught his son the gospel.

  2. What was Enos doing when his father’s words sank into his heart?
    • A. Hunting in the forest
    • B. Building a ship
    • C. Guarding the temple
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Hunting in the forest Enos 1:3. Alone among the trees, he finally had time to think.

  3. What word did Enos use to describe his experience before God?
    • A. A song
    • B. A wrestle
    • C. A whisper
    Show answer

    ✅ B. A wrestle Enos 1:2. Real prayer can take real effort.

  4. How long did Enos pray?
    • A. Until lunch
    • B. About five minutes
    • C. All day and into the night
    Show answer

    ✅ C. All day and into the night Enos 1:4. When night came, he was still raising his voice to heaven.

  5. Why did the Lord say Enos’s sins were forgiven?
    • A. Because of his faith in Christ
    • B. Because he was Jacob’s son
    • C. Because he prayed in the forest
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Because of his faith in Christ Enos 1:8. He had faith in Christ, whom he had never seen.

  6. When Enos prayed for the Nephites, how did the Lord’s voice come?
    • A. Through a trumpet
    • B. In a letter
    • C. Into his mind
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Into his mind Enos 1:10. Answers often come as thoughts and feelings.

  7. What did Enos ask the Lord to preserve for the Lamanites’ descendants?
    • A. Their land
    • B. The Nephite records
    • C. A golden sword
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The Nephite records Enos 1:13–16. Those records are part of the Book of Mormon we read today.

  8. What does Matthew 6:7 warn us not to use when we pray?
    • A. Vain repetitions
    • B. Our own words
    • C. Quiet voices
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Vain repetitions Heavenly Father wants real conversation, not the same empty words.

  9. In Gethsemane, what did Jesus pray in Luke 22:42?
    • A. “Make this easy for me”
    • B. “Let someone else do it”
    • C. “Not my will, but thine, be done”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “Not my will, but thine, be done” Then an angel appeared from heaven and strengthened Him (Luke 22:43).

  10. In James 1:5, what does “upbraideth not” mean?
    • A. He won’t braid your hair
    • B. He won’t scold you for asking
    • C. He won’t answer quickly
    Show answer

    ✅ B. He won’t scold you for asking God gives generously and never makes us feel dumb for asking.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • A Child’s Prayer Children’s Songbook, p. 12

    It asks today’s big question: are You really there, and do You hear? Find it ↗

  • Did You Think to Pray? Hymns, no. 140

    A hymn about starting the day with prayer, like Jesus did in Mark 1:35. Find it ↗

  • I Need Thee Every Hour Hymns, no. 98

    Enos needed the Lord all day and into the night. Find it ↗

  • The Sacred Grove Children’s Songbook, p. 87

    Joseph Smith acted on James 1:5 and went to the woods to ask. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

The Enos Experiment

This week, find a quiet place and say one prayer out loud that’s longer and more honest than usual. Thank Heavenly Father for specific things and ask Him a real question. Pray by name for someone who’s hard to get along with. Afterward, sit quietly for a minute and write down any thoughts that come. Want more? Make it a Children and Youth spiritual goal.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we studied Enos. He prayed all day and into the night, first for himself, then for his people, then even for his enemies. We looked at how Jesus prayed and learned James 1:5, the verse that led Joseph Smith to pray. Your child took the Enos Experiment: one longer, honest prayer, and a prayer for someone hard to get along with. Ask your child how the Lord’s voice came to Enos the second time. How might answers come to us?

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

📓 Prayer Log · 5 min

  1. Give each child a sheet of paper folded in half. Label the left side “What I asked.” Label the right side “What came to my mind.”
  2. Have each kid write one real question or worry to take to Heavenly Father this week. They don’t have to share it.
  3. SAY“Enos didn’t get his biggest answers in one minute. Watch all week, and write down what comes. You might be surprised.”

🌳 James 1:5 to the Sacred Grove · 5 min

  1. Read James 1:5 together. Then take turns reading Joseph Smith—History 1:11–17.
  2. Draw a chain on the board. Joseph had a question. He searched the scriptures. He acted on what he read. He prayed aloud for the first time. He got an answer.
  3. Ask: “Which link in that chain is hardest for you? Which one could you try this week?”

🧊 Anywhere Prayer Freeze · 3 min

  1. Tap Freeze Dance. When the music stops, call a place. Try a test, a hike, before a game or bedtime. Everyone freezes in a prayer pose that fits.
  2. Ask, “When can’t you close your eyes or kneel? Does Heavenly Father still hear?” Yes! Prayers in our hearts count.
  3. Make the last freeze a kneel and hold it for five quiet seconds.

⭕ The Widening Circle · 3 min

  1. Everyone holds hands in a tight huddle. Say: “Enos prayed first for himself.”
  2. Take one giant step back together. Say, “Then for his people, the Nephites.” Each kid names one family member they could pray for.
  3. Step back again. Say, “Then for the Lamanites, people who were against him.” Kids name someone hard to get along with, like “a kid on the bus.”
  4. Take the last step, as wide as the room. Say, “Then for people not born yet, who would read the records someday. Like us!” Raise joined hands high.

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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